Learn to Trust You
by nycgirl166
Summary: Clarissa Verlac was the trophy wife of the rich conglomerate Sebastian Verlac who had saved her from a troubled past. In till one night he was found dead with her next to his body. Alone with no one to help her, but criminal attorney/ playboy Jace Wayland to represent her. Will he be able to find out what the truth was that faithful night, and all the nights before that. (Hiatus)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**This is my first fanfic for the Mortal Instruments series. I don't own the books what so ever. **

**This is a modern AU they are not shadow hunters. They are just regular people.**

**This story will be told in the third person so that you can see the perspectives of multiple people.**

**The grammar may not be perfect, but then again who is **

As she sat in the cold jail cell getting eyed by her fellow cell-mates Clary shivered thinking about how she got here. They know who she is; who she is married too, She laughs bitterly she was married to that's why she is here now. Ironic he saved her from ending up dead or in a jail cell and now here she is in a jail cell and he is dead. They told her that in 5 minutes she will get a phone call to call someone. She thinks to herself she has no one no family to call, no friends he never allowed her friends, her husband's lawyers she doesn't trust they will help. There was just one person who may be able to help her, maybe possibly she prays.

The police officer comes to the cell slams it open and points at Clary.

"You come with me."

He leads her by the arm dragging her down a hall that smells of vomit, urine, and who knows what else. She's see's people screaming, crying, howling, and she shivers inside not allowing herself to show fear. She resorts back to who she was when she met him the tough stripper, who had a drug problem. And he made sure to remind her where she came from every chance he got. He loved to remind her that she was just a cheap whore that he saved from the gutter. If he ever got bored with her that's exactly where she would be once again so she had to toe the line if she intended not to be back on the streets this would usually be followed with an insult.

She gets to the phone and takes a deep breath praying that he answers the phone. She hears the phone ring and ring and hopes it doesn't go to voice mail or he ignores the unknown number. Finally she hears his voice sounding foggy and out of it.

"Hello"

In a frantic voice that is ready to crack "Simon, Simon it's me Clary."

"Clary what number are you calling me from?"

"Simon I am in jail. I need your help."

"What jail. Why are you calling me and not Sebastian?"

"He is dead they are accusing me of murdering him?"

She hears him take a deep intake of a breath trying to process what was just told to him.

"Where are you? What can I do? Do you have a lawyer?"

"I am at the 19th police precinct. I don't know can you help me with a lawyer. I can't call Sebastian's they would never help me."

He takes a deep breath remember Isabelle two brothers are lawyers.

"Yes her two brothers are lawyers, criminal lawyers. I will have her call now and get down there as soon I can. Hang in there Clary we will get you out of there. "

***Page break***

Simon hangs up looks at his sleeping girlfriend next to him. He tries to wake her knowing the phone did not wake her up because she is such a deep sleeper. He nudges her little saying

"Iz, Iz wake up. I need to talk to you."

She opens her eyes slowly looking half asleep

"Hey what's wrong? What time is it?"

"It's 3:30. I need you to call Jace for me now."

"What why?"

"Remember my friend Clary?"

"Yeah the friend who is married to the rich guy. She never really speaks to you because he won't let her why?"

"She is in jail. They accused her of killing her husband."

"What!"

"Just call Jace and have him meet us at the 19th police prescient."

She grabs her phone hoping he will answer knowing Jace it being a Friday night he is out somewhere drinking, and flirting with any beautiful woman that walked his way. Jace was a player with a capitol P His motto was work hard, play harder.

She let the phone ring and ring cursing under her breath when she got his voice mail. She right away texted him right away, and Alec hoping he would be with him. She threw the phone on the bed and looked at Simon.

"He didn't answer I will try again as soon as I get dressed. I tried Alec as well hoping he will be with him"

. As she got dressed her phone went off she lounged to grab it.

"Jace"

"Izzy, what is wrong that you are blowing my phone up on a Friday night. I was just about to have some fun with a Victoria Secret model

"No, I am fine. It's Simon's friend she is in trouble she needs a lawyer she is arrested for her husband's murder."

"Iz, I don't know. I been really slammed at work and do you think I am going to run off and help some starving artist."

"It's Clarissa Verlac."

He knew the name and knew it would be huge for his career to be associated with this kind of case. He looked at the Victoria Secret model shrugged and said

"Sorry baby, I gotta go."

He went back to talking to his sister and demanded the information from her.

"Where is she? I will be right there?"

Isabelle quickly told him where she was and that would meet him there.

***Page break***

Clary just sat in the cell thinking about what just happen. How did her life change in the matter of hours? Her husband was dead, the man who was her savior, and later became her nightmare. They tried to get her to answer questions she refused every time smart enough to know she needed a lawyer before she said anything. They take her in force her to try to says things by belittling her calling her a rich bitch, trophy wife, anything. She just sat there like she was made of ice she heard it all before from her abusive father she ran away from, the guys who used her when she was on the streets, and the her husband, and of course the whispers of the people in upper society. The people she associated with who never accepted her because of where she came from. She has heard it all so they weren't hurting her by saying any of it. 

She thinks how her life went so wrong. When she ran away from her father at 16 after being beaten, and sexually abused for 4 years she thought she would become an artist. What a joke that was she thinks to herself bitterly. Then at that moment she knows when her life went wrong the moment she walked into the bathroom and found her mother in the bathtub with her wrists slit. She left no note just did it probably without a second thought to the daughter she left behind. After that everything went downhill in life in till here she was sitting in a jail cell not knowing what is going too happened to her.

About a half hour later the cops come again get her and put the hand cuffs around her wrist they escort her to a holding room. She thinks to herself great another half hour of comments about her while she refuses to answer questions. Then she sees him and tries to run to him, but the cop doesn't let her. Simon though runs to her and sees her the tears stains down her cheek mixed with mascara, the darkening bruise on her cheek and the swelling on her jaw.

"Are you okay?" He asks this as he cups her cheek.

"I have been better."

"Clary, Isabelle's brother is a criminal attorney he is here to help you."

She looks up and sees him a man who can't be more then 28, 29 with wavy dark golden-blond hair and dark gold eyes. He has a slim, muscular build, and is about 5'11. She thinks to herself she has never seen such an attractive man in her life. Behind his eyes there is a cocky glint to his eyes, and arrogance the way he hold his body.

"Mrs. Verlac."

"I am Jace Wayland. I am here to help you and represent you during questioning. Have you spoken to the police yet?"

"Please call me Clarissa. They tried to get me to speak they would degrade me and call me names, but I refuse to answer any questions.

"Good."

"Office I would like to talk to my client in private with the handcuffs off. You can wait outside while I speak to her, but she has yet to be charged so I would like her treated accordingly. "

The officer hearing the way he spoke knew this guy was not someone to mess with. He did as he was told knowing this was one of those high society woman and he didn't want to be sued for not complying.

They went inside and closed the door. He pulled the chair out for her as she rubbed her wrists that were raw from the cuffs being on and off all night.

"Hi Clarissa, I am Jace as you know I am Isabelle's brother she called me to come help you. I want you to know whatever you tell me won't leave this room or us. I need you to tell me now what happened early tonight. Later we will have to go more into your past. You will have to tell me everything. "

Clary took a deep breath.

"Last night around 9:30 my husband came home drunk, and I think on some other things that I am sure were drugs. He was very angry and started to accuse me of having an affair swearing that he heard a man's voice in the apartment while he snuck around the bottom floor. After that he went crazy and would not listen to me.

"Was there any man in your apartment?"

"No not at all. I would never. I am a lot of things, but I am not an adulterer."

She thinks to herself besides I am terrified of my husband I would never cheat on him for that reason alone.

"What happened after that?"

"He went crazy and slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground. He went into the draw and took out his gun he keeps and ran from room to room screaming Where is he?

I kept telling him no one was here. He just hit me again and pushed me, punched me in the jaw over and over again hitting me. Then he started shooting in the apartment anywhere he thought he saw a movement he was just imagining it. I tried to get the gun from him but he pointed it at my head saying I move again he will shoot me dead right here. Then he tripped and I tried getting the gun and then we struggled for it and it went off right into his chest.

**A/N**

**Thank You so much for reading this at points you will see flashback of Clary's life before she was married and during it. She had a pretty rough life up in till this point. I hope you enjoyed the beginning keep R/R **

**XO**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I DO NOT OWN TMI. I just use the characters in my own original ideas.**

"I swear I never meant for this to happen. I just wanted to get it away from him before he killed me. He was drugged up, and drunk he didn't know what he was doing. "

She took a deep breath.

Jace listened to her it sounded like a woman who has learned to constantly make excuses for her husband actions. It sounded like rehearsed and almost programed. He wondered how many times did Sebastian Verlac come home drunk and high on drugs and hurt his wife.

"I never wanted this to happen." She says this almost as a whisper crying to her. As much as she hated him the last few years a part of her still remembers the man she married. The man who saved her from her former life without him where would she be now?

"What did you do after he was shot?"

"I screamed for help forgetting that none of our staff was there it was there night off. When no one responded I got his phone out and called 911. I used my sweater trying to stop the bleeding. I kept pleading with him to hold on just a little bit longer that help was on the way. When 911 came I screamed for them so they know where I was. They tried to work on him about five minutes or so before they pronounced him dead. The police that had come right behind the paramedics arrested me right then and there."

She looks down tears falling down her face her eyes showing the pain that she is feeling. At that moment she feels like if someone touched her she would break into a thousand pieces and no one would be able to put her back together again

"They tried questioning me for hours I refuse to speak because I didn't have a lawyer. I was so scared the whole time that if I said the wrong thing they would use it against me so I said nothing. I listen to their jabs and the comments they made about me in silence. They finally allowed me to call someone, but I had no one just Simon. I don't have any friends or family to help me. I knew that Sebastian's lawyers would never help me, nor did I know there numbers. I wasn't liked or respected by anyone in Sebastian's life I was looked at as a gold digger, trash"

She said the last words with bitterness and a mixture of sadness.

Jace listened to her the whole time taking notes. His approach to clients was to listen to them let them speak without cutting them off with questions. He has learned with time that you will get more out of them if you just let them speak and let the words flow out naturally. He cleared his throat and gave her a second to compose herself. He just watched her and felt some type of pull towards her. He shook it off telling himself he is just tired and stressed out. He knows this will be a big case if she gets charged and he can't let himself get tied in with her emotionally this can be a careering making case.

"The police are going to be coming in soon tell them exactly what you told me. If I don't like a question they as I will stop them and you don't answer. If they rephrase it I will tell you if you can answer it. Don't give those more details then necessary. We will talk more at another point depending on if you are charged. We will talk about the severity of the charges if and when you are charged. If you are I will request a bail hearing as of tomorrow morning to get you of here to have you make bail. I will have Isabelle get you something for court because of you current state. The important thing is we get this done, and in the morning we get you out on bail.

In walks in two serious men that have previously spoken to her. They introduced themselves. They aren't the same ones as before these two men look more serious and are carrying a folder with them in their hands.

"Hello Mrs. Verlac. I am Detective Eaton, and this is Detective Williams. And you are?

He gestures to Jace obviously knowing that he must be her lawyer.

"I am Mr. Jace Wayland the attorney for Mrs. Verlac. What are you trying my client for? Have there been any charges against her set fourth? Any evidence that I should know about already?"

He asked the questions at a rapid speed not allowing them to answer an question before he asked his next one.

The Detective looks instantly annoyed at the questioning already beginning. They knew that this was not going to be easy with this attorney. He looked like a ball buster who was out for blood, while his client look absolutely terrified of what was happening. She seemed to be trembling underneath her cool demeanor.

"Slow down Mr. Wayland. There has been no charges put against your client as of yet. Forensics as of now are out gathering evidence if you client is charged you will have access to whatever it found at the station it."

"First of Mrs. Verlac we would like to apologize for your loss. I am sure right now is a trying time for you with just losing your husband. We have questions thought about the night in question that just occurred. How he came about to be shot point blank in the chest from such a close distance, and why you were covered with his blood when the paramedics and police arrived "

"First off how long have you been married to your husband?"

"5years."

"And you were together for how long before this?"

"We were together for 2 years."

"And what was your profession when you had met your husband."

She looked down ashamed unsure why she needed to answer these questions. Why did they care how long she was married, or dating? She didn't want to have to unveil her past right now. All she done all those years ago to stay alive

"I was… I was…."

Before she could answer Jace cuts in.

"What does my client past have to do with right now?"

"We are establishing your client has a past that could you say is unsavory."

"Whatever my client has done in the past has nothing to do with tonight. She had been for year a upright standing citizen in the community. I will not allow your police department to continue to belittle and drag her threw demeaning questions as your police department has done before I got here.

From there the two detectives proceed to question her if what occurred.

"What time did your husband come home last night?"

"9:30"

"What was the mood of your husband?"

"He was drunk and seemed to be on some type of drugs."

She proceeded to explain that is seemed he was with another woman because he smelled like perfume, and had lipstick on him. She mentions that he accused her of having a man here in their home. He had told her that if he found him or any proof he had been cheating. He would kick her out and leave her on the street just like when he first met her.

"Did you have a man in your home tonight? Have you been cheating on your husband?"

"No I did not cheat on my husband. I maybe a lot of things to a lot of people but a adulterer is not one of them."

She said this with such a fierce demeanor the police felt on intuition alone they had to believe her.

"They then moved on asking her the same questions over and over again in different ways to see if she would change her story about how her husband got shot.

Over and over again she told them how it happened without once changing her story. A few times Jace had to intervene about the line of questioning because they were deviating down a path that had nothing to do with tonight. He was very proud of how she handled herself during the trying time.

After about two hours the detectives had left to speak to the assistant DA who had come in about twenty minutes into the questions to decide on what would occur. Jace knew they would not let her walk not with this being such a high profile case because of who died, and who is being questioned with his death. This assistant DA was out to make a name for himself as well and this was the case to do it.

When they left she looked at Jace scared to ask the one questions that been running through her mind all night.

"Do you think they will charge me?"

He looks up and knows there is a strong chance, but for some reason he doesn't want to be blunt with her like he is with everyone. Instead he takes a deep breath looks at her terrified face that is stricken with fear, grief, and pain. He sees the blood that is still staining her clothes. The blood of her now dead husband that she could be charged with his murder at any moment.

"There is a good chance. If it happens I promise we will fight it with all my power."

Before they have the chance to speak anymore the officers come in and tell her the news. She is being charged with her husband's murder. There will be a bail hearing tomorrow morning at 10 am. They then lead her away back to her own personal hell to wait for ten am to come.

Jace look at his watch sees its five am there is no point for him to go home and get any sleep. He walks out and see's Simon and Isabelle waiting for him. They look with questions in their eyes wanting answers.

"Hey Guys, they are charging her with murder. Right off the bat I am going to fight to get the charges dropped down to involuntary manslaughter. First though we need to get her out on bail the hearing is at 8 am. Izzy, I need a favor can you go to your boutique and get a dress for her to wear to the hearing. All her clothes as of right now are just stained with her husband's blood she can't be in court like that. There's going to be tons of press there and I don't want her looking like that"

"No problem, I will go and get you something and bring it to the apartment. Before that do you guys want to go to Taki's because I know that none of are going to be sleeping tonight.

They go to Taki's and have breakfast. Jace continues to think about what they said in the station. It's been lingering in his mind what did she do before she married her husband. What did they mean by her unsavory past?

He decides to ask Simon how he knows Clary maybe he can give her the answers that he wants and craves about the red head with the haunting green eyes that he only met hours ago in a police conference room.

"How do you know Clarissa by chance Simon."

He takes a deep he doesn't really talk about his past that much he just isn't proud of who he was and what he did.

"I met Clary when she worked at the same place that I had when we were both 17. She had run away from home about a year before from her family. She was very quiet and didn't talk to anyone in till one day I got her to talk to me."

With that he stopped talking about it he will not reveal her secrets that is up to her when if she decides.  
As Clary sits in the Jail cell she thinks about the first time she met Sebastian. She was eighteen years old when she had met him. She's been on her own since she was 16 when she ran away from her home. Her mother had committed suicide when she was 15 years she had come from school found her in the bathtub with her wrist slit bleeding out into the bathtubs water staining it red with her blood. There was no note, no explanation, nothing just her dead body in the bath tub.

Her mind then drifts back to that night it was a Tuesday night around 11pm at Pandemonium. She was craving a fix so badly before she had to go out and dance she ran to Simon asking if he had something anything to help her get through till she can get her own. He hands her a small white pill she gives him a grateful look before she dry swallows it. As she walks back to the back of the club she catches the eye of a man with such blonde hair it looks white, and the darkest eyes she has ever seen. He continues to watch her as she walks back to the small dressing room. She hears him laughing with his friends. She knows those types of guys rich one who come slumming down here for a good time. She forgets about him as the pill takes over her body giving herself a lightness she craves. At that point one of the dancers asks if she wants a hit of some white powder she gladly takes it. She knows by the time she gets out on the stage she will feel nothing. She fixes her makeup adjusts her bra knowing it won't be on for long and walks towards the stage.

She begins to dance shimmying around on the stage, swinging around the pole, crawling across while taking the money that men gladly give her while they touch her body.

Clary sinks down the wall of the jail cell she is in and thinks to herself where did her life go wrong. She wishes she could pin point a specific day that it happened. Maybe when her mother committed suicide? Maybe the day her father started abusing her. The choices were limitless.

A/N THANK YOU TO ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN READING THIS SO FAR. Sorry it took me so long to update. I was away and then got side tracked doing other things. I appreciate you reading it. I will hopefully update in the next few days. I have some idea's that I am interested in using for this story. I will not be getting them together sooner than later sorry! Btw this really wasn't proofread

xoxo


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